Changing aspirations of Indian students and the global education shift
Earlier, studying abroad was largely a privilege of the few—often driven by aspirations of Western exposure, a better quality of life, or job opportunities in developed economies. The destination countries were limited to a few Anglophone nations, and disciplines like engineering, medicine, and computer science dominated the choices. Today, the landscape has changed dramatically. Indian students are now considering a much wider range of countries—Germany, France, the Netherlands, Australia, Japan, Ireland, and even countries in Eastern Europe and Asia. This is not only because of affordability and policy shifts favouring international students but also due to the rising awareness of diverse career paths and better information access.
Interestingly, the motivations behind studying abroad are evolving. While earlier generations pursued foreign education primarily as a springboard to permanent migration, today's students are more nuanced in their goals. Many seek short-term international exposure through exchange programmes, dual degrees, or professional certifications, intending to return to India with global skills. Others are drawn by specific research opportunities, entrepreneurial ecosystems, or social impact sectors rather than merely financial returns. The very concept of 'success' is being redefined—from high-paying tech jobs abroad to creative careers, sustainable development work, or contributing to social change back home.
Simultaneously, the aspirations of Indian students within the country are also shifting. A growing number of students now prefer to stay in India due to the expanding scope and quality of domestic institutions. The emergence of Indian Institutes of Science Education and Research (IISERs), Indian Institutes of Information Technology (IIITs), National Law Universities (NLUs), and Indian Institutes of Management (IIMs) has created world-class opportunities within national borders.
This trend is partly a reflection of changing socio-economic dynamics. Education is no longer viewed only as a means to upward mobility but increasingly as a space for personal growth, innovation, and societal contribution. Urban youth, especially in metros and tier-1 cities, are exploring humanities, design, media studies, psychology, environmental studies, and gender studies—areas that were once dismissed in favour of science and commerce. The rigidity of 'doctor-engineer-CA' pathways is loosening, replaced by an openness to uncharted careers. This has been catalysed by a new generation of Indian educators, ed-tech platforms, startup culture, and exposure to global trends via digital media.
At the same time, India's National Education Policy (NEP) 2020 has aimed to fundamentally reshape the higher education sector, encouraging multidisciplinary learning, skill integration, critical thinking, and global academic collaboration. The policy's long-term vision is to make Indian institutions globally competitive, reduce rote learning, and align curricula with the needs of the 21st-century workforce. For students, this opens up the possibility of getting an international-style education within India at a fraction of the cost.
The pandemic further accelerated this dual transformation. On one hand, it disrupted traditional international student flows due to travel restrictions and uncertainties. On the other, it triggered a mass adoption of online and hybrid learning models, making international faculty, courses, and certifications accessible from one's bedroom in Mumbai or Patna. It levelled the playing field to an extent, allowing Indian students from diverse socio-economic backgrounds to participate in global knowledge systems. Institutions across the world began to offer online master's programmes, bootcamps, and micro-credentials, breaking the monopoly of physical mobility on international education.
What stands out today is the rise of agency among Indian students. Empowered by technology, access to peer experiences, and social media, they are more informed, more vocal, and more strategic in their decisions than ever before. They consider cost-benefit analyses, visa regulations, cultural compatibility, work rights, and mental health support systems before choosing institutions—whether in India or abroad. Parental influence, once absolute, is increasingly balanced with personal vision and individual choice.
Moreover, the global shift in education is not just about where students go, but also how and what they learn. Traditional lecture-based teaching is giving way to experiential learning, project-based curricula, and interdisciplinary approaches. There is a growing emphasis on skills like emotional intelligence, adaptability, digital literacy, and sustainability—attributes that transcend degrees and align with global citizenship. Indian students, whether studying in Bengaluru or Berlin, are gradually embracing these paradigms.
Whether studying in India or abroad, students are redefining education as not just a ladder to prosperity but as a journey towards purpose. In this changing global educational scenario, India stands at a threshold—not only as a source of global talent but also as a rising hub of knowledge, innovation, and transformation.
This article is authored by Vinu Warrier, founder and managing partner, eduVelocity Global.
Hashtags
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
Mint
6 minutes ago
- Mint
Indian shares inch lower as Kotak earnings drag financials, trade deal delay weighs
By Bharath Rajeswaran and Vivek Kumar M (Reuters) -Indian shares inched lower on Monday as weak results from Kotak Mahindra Bank weighed on sentiment, while uncertainty over trade talks with the U.S. added to overall caution. The Nifty 50 fell 0.16% to 24,798.9 points and the BSE Sensex lost 0.2% to 81,325.4 as of 10:03 a.m. IST. The broader small-caps and mid-caps lost 0.3% and 0.2%, respectively. Negotiations between India and the United States remained deadlocked over tariff cuts on agriculture and dairy products, dimming hopes of an interim deal ahead of U.S. President Donald Trump's August 1 deadline. This is in contrast to a framework trade agreement struck between the U.S. and European Union over the weekend, easing fears of a bigger trade war between the two allies, which account for almost a third of global trade. High-weightage financials and private banks lost 0.2% and 1%, respectively, dragged by a 7% fall in Kotak Mahindra Bank after it posted a drop in quarterly profit. The IT index lost 0.5%, with Tata Consultancy Services shedding 1.6% after it announced plans to reduce its workforce by 2% in fiscal year 2026. The Nifty 50 and 30-stock Sensex have logged four consecutive weekly losses due to weak earnings, foreign outflows and uncertainty over the U.S.-India trade deal. "A dull earnings season and the lingering delay in the India-U.S. trade deal have clearly cast a shadow on market sentiment. With valuations still stretched across the board, investors are understandably treading with heightened caution," said G Chokkalingam, founder and head of research at Equinomics Research. Among individual stocks, Mphasis gained 2.4% on posting quarterly results in-line with estimates and on strong deal bookings, which has boosted the IT company's revenue growth outlook. SBI Cards and Payment Services lost 3.7% after missing profit estimates in the June quarter. (Reporting by Vivek Kumar M and Bharath Rajeswaran; Editing by Eileen Soreng and Mrigank Dhaniwala)
Economic Times
6 minutes ago
- Economic Times
Market in consolidation mode; triggers needed, says Sunil Subramaniam
Tired of too many ads? Remove Ads Tired of too many ads? Remove Ads "Another reason for pharma's past underperformance is that FIIs were driving the selling pressure. They closely track export-oriented sectors. So the recent post-results bounce in pharma is largely driven by DIIs. FIIs still haven't firmed up their stance on India. They remain a bit cautious, especially because the delay in the BTA (Bilateral Trade Agreement) hasn't helped sentiment," says Sunil Subramaniam , Market like you said, the question is—why were they under pressure in the first place? I'd call it the Trump effect. Mr. Trump has been talking a lot about imposing heavy pharma tariffs. He hasn't actually done anything yet, but every time he makes such statements, it creates nervousness—whether he's targeting CDMO players or generics, and how he plans to go about it. That uncertainty has impacted the pharma sector, putting it under when individual companies are reporting good numbers, the market has no choice but to buy into them—because at least those companies are indicating a positive outlook. Plus, some of them may not even be impacted by tariffs, creating a window of opportunity. Also, the pharma space includes domestic-oriented businesses like hospitals and diagnostics, which are unaffected by U.S. tariff issues. So overall, pharma remains a defensive reason for pharma's past underperformance is that FIIs were driving the selling pressure. They closely track export-oriented sectors. So the recent post-results bounce in pharma is largely driven by DIIs. FIIs still haven't firmed up their stance on India. They remain a bit cautious, especially because the delay in the BTA (Bilateral Trade Agreement) hasn't helped we need to understand the market's movement over the last three months. Post-March, FIIs were actually buyers in April and May, and even in June, though to a lesser extent. Meanwhile, if you look at the end of March, mutual fund DIIs—especially domestic mutual funds—had built up cash positions to around 7.25% of their April and May, both mutual funds and FIIs were buying, which supported the market. But starting this month, mutual fund cash levels are back down to around 5%, which is close to their lower limit. That means DIIs don't have as much cash left to deploy, apart from the fresh SIP looking at last earnings season and market levels, domestic funds have largely deployed their cash. FIIs, on the other hand, had expected some action around the BTA by July 9, which then got pushed to August 1. But now, even that deadline seems unlikely to be met. The Indian trade delegation has returned from the U.S. without a deal. Sticking points remain—like agriculture—and they won't be easy to the question now is whether Trump will extend the 10% tariff pause beyond August 1 or slap a 26% tariff on India and then negotiate, like he did with Japan—imposing higher tariffs first and then signing a deal at 19%. That kind of uncertainty around the India-U.S. BTA is keeping FIIs factor is China. While China and the U.S. haven't signed a full BTA either, they seem to have reached some understanding. Meanwhile, China's markets have been beaten down so much that the one-year forward P/E is around 11—compared to India's 22. And China's economy is about 4.5 times larger than India's. Even at 4% growth, those are big numbers. So FIIs are starting to see more value in China, pulling some attention away from as for your question on the next trigger—clearly, a breakthrough on the BTA front, like an interim deal or assurance that tariffs will be capped below 20%, could bring FIIs back. On the domestic side, it's the ongoing earnings season. Results have been mixed. The IT sector, for instance, didn't post terrible earnings, but weak guidance is weighing heavily, especially in the absence of FII DIIs have already used most of their cash, their incremental buying will depend on the inflow from SIPs and earnings results. So companies with strong earnings and forward guidance will likely get DII if the early festival season gives good signs on the consumption front, that could also be a positive trigger. Until then, expect the market to remain in a sideways, consolidative phase for some time.
Economic Times
6 minutes ago
- Economic Times
India bonds may continue to see selling pressure at start of week
Indian government bonds are likely to see persistent selling pressure in early deals on Monday, as sentiment remains cautious after the benchmark bond yield rose above a key level in the previous session. ADVERTISEMENT The yield on the benchmark 10-year bond is likely to move between 6.33% and 6.37%, a trader at a private bank said, after closing at 6.3505% on Friday - the highest level since May 9. "Traders are losing interest and not building fresh positions, and hence we witnessed a large selloff after the debt auction on Friday," the trader said. The Reserve Bank of India sold 300 billion rupees ($3.47 billion) of the benchmark 2035 bond on Friday, the cutoff for which was in line with estimates, but the note witnessed selling pressure after the result was announced. Selling was exacerbated after the RBI governor's comments curbed expectations for rate easing, prompting those who were betting on an August cut to pare positions. ADVERTISEMENT Sanjay Malhotra said monetary policy, being forward-looking, will place greater focus on the outlook for growth and inflation, rather than their current levels, when the policy panel meets on August 6. Malhotra added that the bar for further easing is higher than it would have been if the stance was accommodative, though the RBI still has the flexibility to move the rates up, down or pause. ADVERTISEMENT A plunge in India's retail inflation to a more than six-year low and expectations that it will slip to a record low in July have led to increased talk of a rate cut in August. ADVERTISEMENT India's overnight index swap rates rose on Friday, as market participants trimmed rate cut bets for next week. The one-year OIS rate ended at 5.53% on Friday and the two-year OIS rate ended at 5.51%. The liquid five-year OIS rate settled at 5.73%. KEY INDICATORS: ** Benchmark Brent crude futures were 0.4% higher at $68.70 per barrel after easing 1.1% in the previous session ** Ten-year U.S. Treasury yield at 4.3938%; two-year yield at 3.9296% ($1 = 86.4750 Indian rupees). (You can now subscribe to our ETMarkets WhatsApp channel)
